Traffic Stops to be Outlawed
Brian Ramson, one of the district councilors for the Chicago Police Department’s Harrison District on the West Side, moved to Chicago in 2013. Since then, he said, he’s been pulled over by police roughly 50 times — about four of those coming after he was sworn in less than two years ago.
A search of Cook County court records suggests Ramson — a physicist at Fermilab who is Black — has never been issued a ticket, let alone arrested.
And he may not be alone. Law enforcement officials are quick to note the thousands of guns recovered by Chicago police officers during traffic stops each year, but civil rights activists and residents of predominantly Black and Latino communities have long called the Police Department’s traffic stops pretextual — using possible minor violations as a means to try to uncover more serious criminal activity.
You don't get pulled over fifty times in twelve years without driving like an asshole, no matter what color you are.
And "pretextual" stops are perfectly legal when documented correctly. The Legislature deemed certain actions or lack of certain visible features, (i.e. plates, mirrors, lights, etc) to be sufficient Probable Cause for a stop. That an individual didn't receive a citation is a testament to the leniency and professional discretion of the Police as a whole.
Last week, Ramson was the first speaker during the fifth and final listening session to solicit feedback for the Police Department’s forthcoming general order related to traffic stops. CPD within days will submit the first draft of the new general order that will likely change the rules governing when police officers are permitted to pull over a motorist.
As he spoke, Ramson urged two members of the Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability to “really approach the situation with … the perspective that emphasizes the people who have the, I guess, the quietest voices.”
You mean, "the people who obey the law, maintain their vehicles, and don't drive like assholes"?
This mope is one of the District oversight people elected last year and he "represents" that bastion of Law and Order known as the 011th District. Prepare for an outrageous document that hamstrings every form of traffic stop known to mankind and a proven tool for curbing gun trafficking, dope dealing and drive-by shootings.
Remember, this is what they want and what they voted for. Let them have it, good and hard.
Labels: dumb ideas
posted by SCC at 12:03 AM
121 Comments:
Been pulled over once, on the highway of all places by Chicago cops. Never on the streets. Weird, I’m a Hispanic man who has somehow not been targeted. I wonder why.
In California, Red-Light tickets are $500 a pop !!!
2am in the morning; you roll though on a right turn on red; $500.00 ticket.
This WILL come to Chicago because they shit money like water.
Fuck em'. Take the plates off or cover them good so they can't be read.
Make sure you take off the cover when you get to work otherwise the $180,000 @ year Captain/Inspector will screw you.
Thank all the blue card hores
Be careful what you want Democrat’s. No traffic stops will lead to a free for all.
F*cking idiot.. CPD has lost all the balls a long time ago with the exempts (merits) that allow anti police hating activist to now start making CPD policies.
This is why some officers never give breaks. If you have a headlight out, your plate is expired, you’ve got tinted windows, you blew the stop sign/light & it’s followed by no sticker, no proof of insurance etc - just ticket properly, so they later can’t claim to be some Saint whose been unfairly profiled.
I feel violated and profiled for being a white person who has proper license plates, a maintained vehicle and insurance and lives on the northside every time there’s a new speed or red light camera placed in my neighborhoods. Where do I get to file a complaint about that?
Anyone still stopping anyone is a fucking idiot
Does this mean I can’t frontal curb and my partner can’t jump out while the squad is moving
Coppers still doing traffic stops in this city are like those Japanese soldiers refusing to surrender while stranded on some isolated remote island after the A-bombs dropped. Our war is over. The good guys lost. If you want to do traffic stops and DUIs join the state police or the suburbs.
All of this is making my head hurt.
Now, kees me you fool!!!!
Something is affecting his brain, exposure to too much radiation at Fermi or the
Propaganda at Brown University.
Should be grateful that he has a license to drive as it is a privilege just another gas bag
I drive like an asshole and haven't been pulled over in 10+ years. But I'm not in the neighborhoods.
Been driving for more than 50 years & not once have I been stopped
When one follows the rules it's easy peasee
That all, lets be careful out there
Whenever they publish these stories about “disparities” I just always have to ask: is anyone disputing these traffic violations occurred? Why does no “journalist” ever ask the question: Did you do it? It’s almost like they don’t want to know that answer.
I have met the alleged leader of the community. And in my opinion he is attempting to be stopped by police in his vehicle. That’s is what I have seen in person. And that is what is going on with his activities in the 11th District.
So be advised, it is also probable that his vehicle is wired for sound and or video recording. During my first contact with him. He was stopped for failure to stop for a stop sign. And during the contact he only cracked window down about 2 inches……with his radio playing inside the car he continued to disregard all contact with myself and my partner. We could not hear what he was saying at all.
But he finally presented his D/L and insurance. After running him I tried to ask him questions only to get the mail slot window and radio playing again.
Once you see how this guy reacts to a stop you will always remember him.
And no I did not write any citation. I consider that out of my job description.
The city will be even more dangerous if this change to pretextusl stops takes place. I really feel sorry for decent people that have to drive in dangerous neighborhoods when the police will eventually pull over NO ONE.
a physicist at Fermilab (Batavia, IL) and lives in 011 ??
I smell BS there as well as the alleged "50 T-Stops"
Who is making Stops? Not me.
No high can the Shooting and Homicide numbers go if they get rid of traffic stops? The numbers will reach 800 to over 1000 deaths.
Only dumb mfer's do t-stops, fuck the city and the democRATs, they can enjoy the policing they deserve...nothing
So, start following around, stop him for every vehicle or traffic infraction observed, and ticket every single one, burned out tail light, broken mirror, failed to signal a turn, rolled a stop sign, all of them.
We live in an upside down world. I still love being a police officer, but this anti police, anti law and order climate has sucked the drive out of me. I'm happy just answering my calls of service and every now and then doing a traffic stop.
Crime will go up when they limit our traffic stops and then maybe they will realize that was a mistake to take them away from us. They will probably just say police are not doing enough and not mention all the restrictions on us. We as mankind are one step closer to demolition man, at least in the big blue cities. Everyone Stay Safe!
If downtown didn’t use traffic stops as a measure of how good a commander is doing, then maybe all these stupid traffic stops would actually stop. Everyday we get told how many traffic stops were done and whether we need to “pick it up” or not. The compstat reports are sent out every week and we “better not be in the bottom half” for traffic stops and ISR’s. This is exactly the problem. Downtown is still using compstat numbers to judge performance. The commanders “talk privately” to the Lts who then tell their Sgt’s “we need to get the numbers up for the commander.” It is still a total numbers game. The commanders get called out at compstat if their numbers are in the red and when they get back to the district that shit trickles down.
All they have to do is stop keeping track of traffic stop numbers and then maybe the right cars will be pulled over instead of every car with the littlest infraction. Even im tired of seeing tact stopping 100 cars a night just to bring in numbers. Every single policeman knows that’s what’s going on. It’s a numbers game and eventually you’ll hit something. Sure, they occasionally get a gun or some dope, but prob 95 of the 100 cars are normal people that may have an expired plate, head light out, etc.
The stops are purely numbers driven so their tact Lt keeps his spot and the cmdr doesn’t get embarrassed and screamed at at CompStat.
There was some study that came out within the last decade that said that the sight of police emergency lights deterred crime. So the department used that as a catalyst to push the hell out of doing traffic stops. They wanted us blanketing the district in stops, thus blanketing the district in constant police lights thinking that would deter crime. It seemed to have no impact. In fact in many districts the crime numbers rose, but then they said we aren’t doing enough stops to bring the crime down. Which led to a push for even more traffic stops. They wanted every single car stopped for every little reason just so those blue lights would be on to deter crime. It got us to where we are now. Just stopping everyone we can to try to keep the stats up. There does need to be a change. It’s gotten out of hand. Traffic stops can be incredibly useful, but not in the way cpd has abused it.
Last time I on-viewed a blatant red light violation and attempted to curb the offending vehicle it took off on me. The “chase” was terminated within 2 seconds after announcment. Since then I’ve done exactly ZERO traffic stops. Never again will I allow myself to get punked by the offender and Sergeant at the same time.
A physicist at Fermilab? Can’t afford to live in a better area? This guy seems to be a dope like someone who would get pulled over 50 times. 50 times and not a single ticket I call B.S. on that.
Making an arrest on a "pretextual" traffic stop is what's called good police work.
I’ve been saying this for years …abolish all traffic stops !!! They are racist!! They want to make our jobs even easier ! Less work for more pay lol gotta love the logic. Please I hope they implement this immediately. Now these gangsters can transport their dope and guns without fear of getting racially profiled by CPD lol and will have one less thing to worry about. These unlawful traffic stops are costing them money !! Outlaw ALL traffic stops at once !!!
Traffic stops will come to a complete STOP if they try to institute any policy that prohibits officers from enforcing any part of the municipal or vehicle code. Another click to further tighten the handcuffs on officers.
How many times do I get a driver in the left turn lane who immediately cuts in front of me and continues forward? I must be the one who deserves a ticket.
Show the in car camera footage of the traffic violations. See if he is a "victim" or just a bad driver who uses his race as a pretext for his bad driving.
Brilliant idea. When every aspect of life gets redlined. The jackasses that make it happen is the first to feel the pain. Fuck every blue city to hell.
I can’t wait to see what the district council brain trust has come up for us regarding traffic stops! Maybe if bosses hadn’t pushed blue cards for the last 20 years this wouldn’t be a problem.
I'm calling BS. You want to make up stats then prove you have been stopped. 50 times and no tickets?? Yeah right.
It just gets better and better.
Democracy is the theory that the common people know what they want, and deserve to get it good and hard.
H. L. Mencken
How about this, assign those racist police officers to my neighborhood. I see a police car about once a week.
Acting like an asshole like that he should've received the full police service, but since you let him off, he'll feel emboldened to do that again ! Maybe next time write the jagoff !
Really.. the point of them saying they were profiled and stopped is them claiming they didn't do nafin.. then instead of a ticket the copper fills out a blue card, giving the person who was pulled over merit to his claim.
Movers don't get me early ducks
Movers dont get me OT missions
But stopping everyone driving in the ghetto and filling a blue card out on them, does
Fine with me I don’t do any now.
I remember when Eric Holder was Obama’s Attorney General and he complained that he and his BMW were stopped on a regular basis on I-95. He insisted it was strictly racial profiling despite the fact that when you are going 90 mph on the interstate a cop can’t see inside the car to see what race you are. If you object to being pulled over, then stop driving like an a$$hole.
100% correct
Your Sgt didn't punk you. He saved your ass.
Pussy. You should have wallpapered his fucking ass after that. Why the fuck you stop him if you ain't gonna write him after he showed you such disrespect
Good! We can only hope for that
Fuck them and their numbers bullshit.
He treats you like a dick bag and u still give him a pass!!!?? You are the reason we are not taken seriously. Why people feel they can treat us like shit and get away with it. Now next time he’ll give the next copper and even harder time. Had you taken 2 minutes to write the ticket for the infraction you observed maybe he’d think twice next time about treating the next copper like shit. Look in the mirror, you are a huge part of the pussification on the CPD.
We're seeing it now; it already is. Every stupid law they enact, or General Order or guideline that comes out slowly chips away at tools used to enforce the law and makes the profession less effect, and literally fetal. It's done on purpose to keep certain members of the community out of jail, to correct years of assumed "injustices."
Give them what they want until they beg for normalcy again.
You didn’t get “punked” you idiot. The Sgt prob saved your ass. Read the order about pursuits. You pursue for a red light and he kills someone guess who loses their job and house… you! You should go thank that sgt who called off your huge red light violator caper.
That was your mistake. When you deal with an antagonist like him, whom you know is audio video recording the encounter for posterity, as are we, then you be extremely professional and follow the law to the letter. Don't give him the satisfaction of going off the rails because he won't lower the window or radio, that's what he wants. He is hoping for a confrontation, don't give it to him. Be nice, smile, ask him to watch those stop signs and hand him paper with a court date.
If you're not prepared or willing to do that, don't make the stop.
Dumbest comment I’ve read on here in a while. You let him treat you that way and then let him drive away without giving him a ticket because that’s not in your job description? You’re a cop! Writing tickets is exactly what you are supposed to do. And to let him treat you like a bitch is in your job description? Can’t believe this comment. You prob said thank you sir, have a good day sir as he peeled away yelling fuck you bitch at you.
Good. Answer the calls in the district.
Yep.
I consider you a moron. He acted like an asshole, but did surrender his drivers license and insurance and you did not write him. Those are the people that deserve a ticket not some regular Joe going to or from work.
We should be writing more tickets. The bosses push the blue cards because it's a metric they can look up the next morning.
In CST you went home early after 10 blue cards. 10 citations? See you at check off.
The poor leadership of this department has made blue cardd the new contact cards.
What is a "pretextual traffic stop"? Has the Left and black people developed ESP? Can they read police officers' thoughts before they think them? How do they know that there is some nefarious alternative for cops pulling black people over? It seems like the police are being prejudged.....
I've never been pulled over 10 times my life including nationwide
A year to go, and can't wait to retire...
Is this the same Brian who lives in the 30 sector and calls to request a supervisor on a daily basis ? The same Brian who shows up at the 011 district desk with a list of what the police are doing wrong? If so, then He is a self righteous activist who has his eyes on a political spot. He would call for guys hanging on the corner, parking permits, etc., then would be unhappy with the length of time for the police to arrive ( backlog constantly) or with the police active or lack thereof. Then his Request for Supervisor would be pending ! He thinks he is the king of 011.. This guy is a tool and is a major pain in the ass to those who work in 011.,
Exactly !!!
In a ghetto neighborhood, where mucho OT was given to get blue cards. Blue cards stop crime, doncha know?
Yes ! This guy wants to be pulled over so he can complain !
To start almost 1/2 voted to pay shithead for shooting a police officer and getting himself killed then this asshole complains about getting a ton of passes. Why would you keep doing stops in 11 let ‘em run wild who cares. Traffic accidents with serious/fatal injuries , overdoses and violent crime will skyrocket over summer and when people like this complain about it a boss just has to say traffic stops are basically non existent during the same time last year. Only stops that should be conducted are clear cut that you intend to write the ticket/arrest. I guarantee we are one completely justified traffic stop shooting away from this forsure being reality if it’s not already going to be.
I wonder if Durban knew this.
https://revolver.news/2025/04/fbi-bombshell-venezuelan-officials-are-using-gangbangers-as-soldiers-inside-us/https://revolver.news/2025/04/fbi-bombshell-venezuelan-officials-are-using-gangbangers-as-soldiers-inside-us/
Either the guy drives like a complete tool and keeps getting acknowledged or the numbers are complete BS. Gotta love how these people can just pull a number out of their ass and the media will run with it with ZERO proof. Have any event numbers? Star numbers? A district or town you were stopped in? Ticket numbers / written warnings? Something to prove you were “stopped” this many times….
How do you guys get work done there? Currently I am LEO in Texas, have been the last 11 years, and applied to CPD and was hired on but now after being informed of this site and seeing a lot of the terrible politics do any of you feel it’s worth it to work there anymore? Is there anymore joy in the work? I am from Chicago originally but took a job at HPD. Big city but it does not seem to have half the politics that plagues you guys. I am wanting to return home but now I am not so sure. Any insight helps. For what it’s worth I enjoy being proactive and just filling my day with calls so it flies by.
Elwood Blues loves this. Use of unnecessary violence…never to be approved again, even in the movies.
sounds like this racist hater is working for the aclu hey a-hole come to 016 n i will write you in a new york second
You should have issued him a citation. You just make it harder for the next PO that has to deal with his ignorance
Never giving break again, ever!!!
Boom!
https://www.chicagopolice.org/policy-review/traffic-stops/
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.fox32chicago.com/news/suburban-chicago-officer-indicted-alleged-covid-relief-loan-scheme.amp
Ohhh come on FEDs CPD got a few for you to indict ...
What sh$t can trickle down? If you are on your watch by bid, answer your calls. There are no quotas. Only pressure. If you are 99, they can't do anything. If you are 10-4 or have a partner, don't let them know what annoys you. If Commanders, who are politically connected, ass-kissing sycophants, try to deny you your contractual rights, there are repercussions. Get a mover at the end of your tour and see if they deny overtime.
This is what happens when you saturate black and brown neighborhoods with police. Back in the 1990s, black and brown neighborhoods cried for more police officers because of rampant crime. They were "taxpayers" too. So they got more police and more traffic stops less to more guns, drugs, driving without a license, etc. Now they want fewer traffic stops?
Here's a solution. Stop saturating their neighborhoods with police. Fewer police officers will lead to fewer traffic stops.
Another example of playing the race card.
He's doing a Smollette.
My best friend from grammar school is a nuclear physicist with three degrees and some patents. We're both 75 and he still rides his bike 10 miles a day. Anyway, he told me if the driver asks if he was speeding the officer should reply "no sir, you were going less than 186,000 miles per second so you were under the limit. I just wanted to let you know you just ran over Schrodinger's cat! Again! "
https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryan-ramson-730a0698
A piece of duct tape works....
Let's stop issuing blue cards. Issue a ticket for every stop. Let those who collect data see how many moving and compliance violations are committed in black and brown neighborhoods.
Maybe then they will stop crying.
So, no more "no-job" Traffic and Burglary Mission cars who generate Obama-cards for another useless 06 sergeant?
Fuck them all.
You want to put an immediate end to being told to “pick it up”? Email every Bosshole involved in the charade with the request that they kindly submit to you (via email or in writing) precisely what is expected of you in terms of activity. Include the Supernintendo as well.
Be sure to include a sentence or two referencing what is about to happen to Barz and a few others regarding pushing traffic stops. The trial that’s gonna expose crooked Department policy and expose exactly what’s been common practice commences in a few short weeks. Trust me, they’ll know what you’re talking about. It’s gonna get very ugly for those who supervised with total disregard to their subordinates best interests.
And in the event they’re dumb enough to even entertain retaliating? Keep copious notes and communicate with them exclusively via department email, CC’ing every last cocksucker involved. Some people need to learn the hard way.
I work in KCMO and live on the Kansas side (fortunately), Best I can tell, local law enforcement, including the KS HP and KCMO PD have all but abandoned any pretense of enforcement.
I am not a slow driver be any measure but it's become a free for all. Some days really set me on edge. I'd guess that, at least once a week, I see someone on the freeway driving in excess of 90 MPH - weaving in and out of traffic.
Personally, I think stopping someone for slow-rolling a stop sign when there's no cross traffic is chicken-poop but real, dangerous violations are frequent. The loons know the odds of being stopped are nil. (Cell phones have made it worse - almost hit by a truck the other day - driver had phone in front of him.)
The lunacy started during the COVID fiasco when traffic was light; the lunacy continues with traffic back to normal. Before long, we'll be back at 70s levels of traffic deaths.
When Cpd stops writing moving violations, what do you think they’ll turn traffic cord into??
Dont.
That was Barz in a nutshell right there. Get him bullshit blue cards to justify his merit promotions. Promising young guys to get them to units and merit promotions to get him activity. Total scumbag.
Oh shit, rollers. I bet they have SCOMDS.
Take his documents and leave him there
Investigative reporter should follow him and document his driving habits
I stopped back in 2014. FUCK THIS
DEPARTMENT
Hammond indiana is hiring.
This city, state and country is burning and they don’t see it.
Making my job even easier, while making 150k a year.....gotta love this job!
Lawful Pretextual Traffic Stops can be perceived by some members of the community as negative, biased, or unlawful. Therefore, any such use of lawful Pretextual Traffic Stops as a law enforcement or crime prevention strategy must strike a balance between identifying those engaged in criminal conduct and the community's sense of fairness.
Lol ... I can see it now.
No Fair!!! = complaint sustained.
Even some suburbs don't let you chase for traffic alone, because of the probability of a pursuit becoming a high risk crash to include death. You must be an idiot living under a rock if you think chasing a Porsche for a no front plate for traffic is justified for it to become a deadly crash with a death of a bystander and the offender doesn't have shit on them. You will be ALONE in criminal court, ALONE when they come to put up assets to CIVILLY SUE YOU, ALONE in internal affairs, and ALONE when the city attorneys decide to make a deal making you the problem ontop of that. Unless someone points a GUN at YOU or SHOOTS you why the fuck are you chasing with a department, city, law group who are by far the most ANTI-police in the whole city? Even when you are dead they've shown they'll discipline you.
In January 2023, Ramson’s answer on his Candidate questionnaire:
Do you have experience interacting with CPD? No
How do you have 50 stops by police and no experience interacting with them? The rest of his answers clearly define who he is an abolish/defund police activist.
https://chicagoreader.com/2023-police-district-councils-voter-guide/brian-j-ramson-jr/
Its not worth it. Stay in Texas. Politics ruined this department.
this is great news my workload keeps getting easier and easier...
I’ll help you out: https://isp.illinois.gov/JoinIsp
Negative. I looovveee working in the ghetto and stopping people driving like a holes with expired plates. Why? Because I can’t stop them when I’m off duty doing the same shit.
I get pulled over all the time. I probably have 20 blue cards already populated for the officer that pulls me over to save them work. They just fill in the location at date.
“We’re never going to get back over 13,000 police officers in the next five or 10 years,” he said. “We’ve been hemorrhaging officers. So we’ve got to do more with the officers that we have. Which means we have to free up some resources.”
Made a call. He's a ball washer in the cafeteria men's room at Fermi. Physicist my ass. Sounds like Calhoun the lawyer
There was a Supreme Court ruling that stated the police have a right to conduct traffic stops for non compliance vehicle violations
As a young recruit in the 1990s, another officer told me to always write tickets to people like this guy who disrespect you. If you don't, they will show even greater disrespect to the next officer. And that's on you. Don't do that to your fellow officers.
There are plenty of nice people who occasionally make mistakes and then apologize when you pull them over. Those citizens deserve a break and verbal warning.
Never the jerks.
You consider writing tickets as "out of your job description"? What do you think your job is?
Keep a roll of blue painters tape in the car. Two strips of one inch tape across the plate. Take it off when you get to work. Leaves no residue. Works every time
Idiot. Either a DEI hire, public school educated or works the PRT Unit.
CPD is run by politics from the top, if you want to do PROACTIVE shit without the huge restrains find a IL suburb, otherwise stay away from the city. I made my peace knowing this shithole city is run by progressive dirtbags in and everywhere. I would stay where you are and finish out 20, IL is a blue state run by a one party system.
He's obviously a menace. How many tickets till you lose your licence? Start the process.
A gay hookup place like the US Senate chamber?
Absolutely, don’t believe anything that comes out of his mouth.
During my first few years at CPD, if I stopped you for traffic violation, I wrote you. Kinda figured it was my way to 1. Make you stop doing what you were doing (speeding, plate expired, ran red light), and 2. Make the city a little cash. Imagine my surprise one day in open traffic court- when a man tries to say I was mean, nasty, didn’t do what I wrote him for, and the judge replied: oh no. I have personally been stopped and ticketed by this officer. Guilty. Pay the fine. I swear this is true!
CPD died when pro-active policing stopped. Be reactive if you want, but in the end you have to live with yourself. Be fair and humble, little old ladies and grandpas should get a pass for minor, unintentional violations. Plenty of jagoffs out there committing blatant violations to write up. Don’t lose your integrity just because you work for Assholes.
This loser is another transplant from the south. He comes up here pulling all this bs because frankly in the south there isn’t the pandering to him that there is up here and that includes mostly departments that are made up heavily of officers of color.
And when the Insurance companies raise car insurance rates because of this nonsense then they can complain the insurance companies are racist.
You probably just made Sgt hahahah
All the cops who stopped black Einstein were wearing MAGA hats.
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